‘Maximum’ parking standards removed

The requirement to set ‘maximum’ parking standards for residential development by local authorities has been removed.

Local authority chief planners were informed in a letter from Government chief planner Steve Quartermain, following an announcement by Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark.

The letter said: “…the Government is changing some of the text in Planning Policy Guidance 13: Transport (PPG13) to better reflect localism. The Government’s position on parking standards is that local authorities are best placed to take account of local circumstances and are able to make the right decisions for the benefit of their communities. As such, the central requirement to express ‘maximum’ parking standards for new residential development has been deleted.”

Parking standards will still need to be set, but it will be for local authorities to determine what that standard should be.

“Similarly, the Government believes it is for the local authority to decide what its parking charges should be. Therefore, the reference to using parking charges to encourage the use of alternative modes has also been deleted,” the letter said.

The letter also reports the Government’s intention to encourage electric vehicle charging infrastructure in new development and “its intention to proceed with proposals to introduce permitted development rights for electric vehicle charging points”.